Baggers have to deal with the most stress on sundays than anyone else because we do a lot of things in the store. We are often under-manned yet we still have to do as much stuff as a full crew would do. Don't treat us like crap because we are the people who empty your trash and bring you guys new paper towel for the bathrooms if you run out. We do so much to make you guys happy, yet you always find little things to yell at us about.
on the front end we can't get our baggers to empty trash, fill spray bottles, get paper towels, get bags... we're lucky we can get them to bag when it's busy
what is the courtesy in courtesy clerk anyway? ours stand around and don't empty carts for customers even if it's a woman with a baby on her arm. they just stare blankly when a frustrated cashier navigates around the next lane full of carts and customers to help.
Baggers do have the most strenuous job in the store, that's for sure! Anybody who doesn't think so should try their hand at some of the more unpleasant jobs, like pushing carts in the blazing heat and sun or through snow. It is unfortunate that they aren't better compensated; the company's position on this is that courtesy clerk is a "stepping stone," that everyone capable should be moving up, and that those with disabilities could lose state benefits if they are paid too much.
I kind of see their point, as unfortunate as it is. Oftentimes, baggers are high school kids who aren't looking to stay very long. If they aren't that, then they are people that should be looking to move up to other positions. And if they aren't that, then it's possible that they have cognitive or physical disabilities that prevent them from doing other jobs, and many (if not all) of them are receiving other benefits that they could lose if they make too much money or receive other monetary compensation such as insurance. That is, unfortunately, why Kroger Legal does not allow the company negotiators to budge on the pay scale for baggers. Bummer.
But it is lame if you are underappreciated at your store. A bad courtesy clerk is a nuisance, but a good one makes the store run THAT much better.
I kind of see their point, as unfortunate as it is. Oftentimes, baggers are high school kids who aren't looking to stay very long. If they aren't that, then they are people that should be looking to move up to other positions. And if they aren't that, then it's possible that they have cognitive or physical disabilities that prevent them from doing other jobs, and many (if not all) of them are receiving other benefits that they could lose if they make too much money or receive other monetary compensation such as insurance. That is, unfortunately, why Kroger Legal does not allow the company negotiators to budge on the pay scale for baggers. Bummer.
To me, that sounds like discrimination based on unprovable assumptions. Some people just want a job in this economy.
Personally, I believe if a bagger is doing his/her job correctly, it can be one of most strenuous jobs in the store. On the other hand, if they're not doing it correctly, they can be on the complete oppisite side of the spectrum and basically be dead weight.
But, really, isn't it the responsibility of management and the CSM's/ACSM's to keep the baggers in line? If they refuse to do their job, fire them.
I was a Courtesy Clerk for only 3 months before getting moved up, but it wasn't hard at all in fact it was the easiest job for me in the store. My daily routine would be going out in the morning to round up carts, go backs, light cleaning, assist drug gm in filling their candy, sacking, and sometimes bringing groceries out to the car for customers. I wouldn't just stand around when talk like most of the clerks I see. During peak times when I was done bagging my lane I would go to the other and bag the other. In fact I was sacking for 2 lanes at once! This is what got me moved up. If you want a hard job... try and get into the meat department.
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I was a Courtesy Clerk for only 3 months before getting moved up, but it wasn't hard at all in fact it was the easiest job for me in the store. My daily routine would be going out in the morning to round up carts, go backs, light cleaning, assist drug gm in filling their candy, sacking, and sometimes bringing groceries out to the car for customers. I wouldn't just stand around when talk like most of the clerks I see. During peak times when I was done bagging my lane I would go to the other and bag the other. In fact I was sacking for 2 lanes at once! This is what got me moved up. If you want a hard job... try and get into the meat department.
It sounds like you didn't have a bottle room. You have to remember courtesy clerks have more responsibilities and duties in some states than others.
Some courtesy clerks are also responsible for every odd job in the store. Some have to cross busy roads to get carts. Some have congested parking lots where they're almost constantly being in danger of being run over. Some have to clean the blood left over all the floor and toilets in the women's restrooms.
Our courtesy clerks are great some are goofy some are lazy. We all get along. The only problem is when you guys are talking to a cashier and bagging on express lines when other have two cart orders. Other than that our baggers work. ,ost do any ways.
I'm a curtesy clerk and a checker at my store. Was hired in September. I'd much rather check than bag. I'm a weakling girl though so I'm not great at pushing in carts at all. Doesn't help our parking lot is on an incline. We do not have a bottle room. I've honestly never heard of that. I did Google so I'm on the up and up on that particular thing. Our baggers also do not clean unless there's not a maintenance person on the clock. We end up occasionally unclogging a toilet or restocking TP/paper towels.
Also to the person that was proud of bagging for two lanes...at our store, they call that 'bouncing'. I was never told about bouncing lanes until one micromanaging front end supervisor got on me for not noticing a checker 6 lanes down needed help.
The person who makes our schedules kind of sucks at it. There's either 6 baggers for 3 checkers or vise versa. Usually the latter. Having too many baggers doesn't happen too often at my store.
BUT I do agree with you when you say it's stressful. It's very stressful and frustrating. I'm the most tired after my bagging shifts. You have to push in carts for an hour (usually) then come back in and bag as fast as you possibly can so you can bump over to the next lane that's piled up. It's constantly going and hardly ever a lull unless you work super late at night or early in the morning.
I'm envious of these produce and grocery people who can hang out in the break room for 30 minutes before the end of their shift because they have nothing to do.
I'm envious of these produce and grocery people who can hang out in the break room for 30 minutes before the end of their shift because they have nothing to do.
Send them back to the bakery. We'll find something for them to do. I'm lucky if I have time to take my last break.
The thing about being a bagger is that so much is demanded of you and you are given so little time to do it, especially if the store's busy. Some CSMs have even hunted me down while I was shopping for a water bottle 5 minutes before my shift starts and their wondering what the hell I'm doing. Today I was sweeping the front sidewalk area and one of the ladies says "you need to focus on sweeping in this other spot instead" Where I was sweeping it looked much worse than it did there. They always find the little ways to make me look bad even though I'm doing an excellent job. It's almost just not even fair. Their almost asking me to quit so that I don't get my next raise (whenever that is lol)
I'm envious of these produce and grocery people who can hang out in the break room for 30 minutes before the end of their shift because they have nothing to do.
In grocery in my store, there is only 1 person working grocery and 1 person in dairy and 1 in frozen, there is a shiit ton of work that needs to be done. When I worked in grocery/dairy there had been some night I was so busy I didn't get all my stuff done. It didn't happen as much in grocery, but dairy is hard, hard work. Try unloading a milk truck with 17 pallets of milk by yourself and then lets talk.
Courtesy clerks have it hard, but being in grocery isn't a walk in the park either!
Im a courtesy clerk. Im nice to cusomers, respectful to coworkers, supervisors, and managment.
I do everything asked of me including what my job entails.
I still catch crap though.
